C lassic donuts from “back in the day” are as old-fashioned as it gets for me.
These are my absolute favorite Donuts; they are so fluffy and soft and so incredibly delicious when covered in sugar and filled with pastry cream.
For maximum freshness and deliciousness, serve these donuts on the day they are made!
Before You Bake
Read the recipe completely, and make sure you have everything you need.
For all the step-by-step pictures, scroll to → Notes and click on the clickable link; I highly recommend doing this before you bake this recipe.
For questions related to my recipes, ask me in my inbox on Instagram @passionforbaking so I can reply to you with an audio message.
- Bakers tip
→I use bread flour which has a higher 12 to 13% protein content than all-purpose flour. The higher the protein content, the more gluten the flour produces, and gluten are what gives these donuts their structure and, together with yeast, creates that airy texture. I use a Swedish bread flour called Manitoba Cream . If you can't find it, just use all-purpose flour, it will still be amazing.
→I use whole milk ( cold) in this recipe; it is a must for the most tender dough; you can use low-fat milk but the donuts aren't going to be as flavorful or rich.
→Because the kneading process in this recipe is long, it is best to use cold eggs and cold milk, and room temperature butter to make the best dough so that the dough while kneading is not getting too warm as it could kill the yeast!
Sweet Dough ( overnight dough)
- 750 gram strong bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 115 gram white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 20 gram fresh yeast, crumbled
- 300 grams eggs, about 6 large eggs straight from the fridge
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, optional
- 225 gram whole milk, straight from the fridge
- 185 gram unsalted butter at roomtemp
For deep frying the donuts
- 2000 gram sunflower oil
Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 250 gram full-fat whole milk
- 250 gram heavy cream 35 to 40 %
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 6 large egg yolks
- 75 to 100 grams white sugar
- 27 gram cornstarch
- A pinch of sea salt flakes
- 40 gram cold unsalted butter, diced
Crème Pâtissière
- Vanilla Pastry cream, cold ( see recipe above)
- 200 grams heavy cream 35 to 40 %, cold
Plan ahead. The dough needs to proof in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
→Because the kneading process in this recipe is long, it is best to use cold eggs and cold milk, but room temperature butter to make the best dough so that the dough while kneading is not getting too warm as it could kill the yeast!
Direction for the Sweet dough
- Plan ahead; You’ll need to start this recipe the day before baking the donuts.
- Bakers Note; A pinch of salt in the dough serves a couple of important functions. It impacts the flavor and acts as a stabilizer, stopping the yeast from proving too quickly. Never sprinkle the salt straight onto the yeast, as this will kill the yeast. Instead, add the salt as the very last ingredient after you add the butter.
- Into a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add 750-gram strong bread flour or all-purpose flour, 115 grams of white sugar, 20 grams of fresh yeast, 300 grams eggs, one teaspoon vanilla bean paste, and 225-gram whole milk.
- Knead on a medium speed for 8 minutes or until smooth; your dough is the correct consistency when it forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Use a timer!
- Once the dough has all come together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add the butter one piece at a time.
- Once the butter is completely incorporated into the dough, Continue mixing at →medium-high speed for another 8 minutes or until the dough has come together and is smooth, you should hear it make a slap-slap-slap sound as the dough hits the sides of the bowl. Use a timer!
- Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl; cover every inch of dough with a piece of plastic wrap, and add an extra plastic wrap on top, or the dough can dry out.
- Proof the dough in the fridge overnight.
Pastry Cream
- Use a sharp knife to split the vanilla bean lengthwise and place it into a medium saucepan along with a pinch of sea salt flakes, 250 grams whole milk, and 250 grams heavy cream. Give it a quick whisk to combine everything, and heat the mixture over medium heat until it's almost boiling (around 80°C/176°F). Bubbles will begin to form at the edges. Remove from heat, cover with a plate, and let steep for 30 to 60 minutes if time permits. Otherwise, proceed as directed.
- After 30 to 60 minutes, reheat the cream and milk mixture over medium heat to almost boiling, around 80°C/176°F. Do this just before you start to whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 6 egg yolks, 75 to 100 grams of white sugar, and 27 grams of cornstarch until light and smooth. Use a piano wire whisk for this task while you heat the milk/cream mixture, but not too far in advance!
- As you continue whisking, slowly add one-third of the hot milk/cream mixture to the yolk mixture to temper the egg yolks. Gradually whisk in the remaining milk/cream mixture. Pour the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan, making sure to scrape all the flavorful gooey vanilla seeds from the bottom of the bowl into the saucepan.
- Cook the pastry cream over medium-low heat, whisking continuously, until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency, about 5 minutes. When you see large bubbles plop to the surface, whisk for 2 more minutes to cook off the cornstarch; otherwise, the pastry cream might taste chalky. Once thickened, do not whisk the pastry cream vigorously; otherwise, the cornstarch can break down, causing the pastry cream to thin.
- Remove from the heat. Add 40 grams butter and whisk until the butter is evenly combined and the pastry cream is pale yellow with a smooth, glossy texture. Remove the vanilla bean pod and discard.
- Transfer it into an airtight container or spread it in a shallow dish. Then, immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap directly touches the cream to prevent a skin from forming on top. Refrigerate your pastry cream immediately. It’s important to cool it down quickly to prevent the growth of bacteria.
- Let cool in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours before using. Before using it to combine with whipped cream to make "Crème Pâtissière," stir the pastry cream with a spatula until it softens and is spreadable.
- Note: Pastry Cream does not store well in the freezer.
Crème Pâtissière
- First, take 200 grams of really cold heavy cream. Remember, the temperature of the cream is key for perfect whipping. Whip it with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer on a medium-high setting. You're aiming for a fluffy consistency, not too thick or grainy – just nicely aerated.
- Pull your pastry cream from the fridge – it should be cold. Smooth it out with a spatula. Then, gently fold in your whipped cream. This step is all about keeping that light fluffiness, so fold carefully until the mixture is evenly smooth and combined. Now you've got yourself a beautifully fluffy and delicious filling, perfect for your donuts.
- Use immediately or refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 to 5 days, depending on your expire date of your cream.
Classic Donuts, the next day
- The next day, remove the cold dough from the refrigerator and place it onto a floured work surface.
- Cut the dough into 25 equal pieces, about 60 grams each; shape the pieces of dough into buns and arrange them on the well-floured trays allowing plenty of space between each bun. Cover the trays loosely with plastic wrap and with a clean dish towel and let rise in a relatively warm environment for about 3 to 4 hours or until puffy and doubled in size.
- Prepare your fryer. Heat the oil to 350°F (180°C). Very carefully remove the donuts from the tray, using a floured pastry scraper to help you.
- Be careful not to deflate them!
- Fry two doughnuts at a time, about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- You’ll want the donuts to be golden brown on the outside and perfectly cooked in the middle.
- Check regularly that the oil is at 350°F (180°C) when frying the donuts, using a thermometer.
- Remove from the fryer with a slotted spoon and place on a kitchen paper towel or napkin.
- Toss the fried/warm donuts into the sugar while they're still warm.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
- As soon as the donuts are not warm anymore, you can fill them.
- Using the tip of a small sharp knife, create a hole in the side of each of the cooled donuts (Anywhere in the white line is fine).
- Pull the cold Crème Pâtissière out of the fridge.
- With a piping bag fitted with a medium round nozzle, generously fill each doughnut with the Crème Pâtissière.
- Carefully insert the tip into a donut. Squeeze the piping bag until the donut feels just full. Fill in the remaining donuts.
- For maximum freshness and deliciousness, serve these donuts on the day they are made! Day-old donuts are simply not that great!
- If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.